


He Said No

by TheSovereigntyofReality



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Don't Like Don't Read, Gen, Moderated, Not Canon Compliant, Not Steve Friendly, Vibranium & Adamantium, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 04:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15987389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSovereigntyofReality/pseuds/TheSovereigntyofReality
Summary: What if Howard had told Steve "no" when he wanted the vibranium shield?





	He Said No

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer: If you recognise it, it isn't mine.**

‘What about this one?’ Steve hopped over to a circular shield he’d spotted.

‘No, no.’ Howard waved a hand even as Steve pulled it out and looked at it. ‘That’s just a prototype.’ 

‘What’s it made of?’

Nothing wrong with curiosity, of course. ‘Vibranium. It’s stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It’s completely vibration absorbent.’ It defied all the laws of physics and Howard was determined to find out why.

Steve pulled the shield up and braced it against his body, then he examined the edge. ‘How come it’s not standard issue?’

‘That’s the rarest metal on Earth. What you’re holding there. That’s all we got.’ He plucked the shield out of his hands before he could get any ideas. ‘Which is why the answer’s no. The only reason it’s in shield form is because I needed to see if it could be moulded into a different shape.’

Steve then made a face – a disapproving face. Howard then discovered a talent of Rogers, and it wasn’t a good one. He could make people feel bad, for no reason, by his facial expression alone. But Howard had never seen a full-grown man react like that to being told “no” before. It made him wonder if Rogers had been indulged as a child.

Thankfully, then Peg marched in. ‘If you’re quite finished, Mr. Stark. I’m sure Captain Rogers has other matters to attend to.’

‘He certainly does,’ Howard said.

Looking annoyed, Steve followed Peg out of the lab. Howard often had a feeling when people were going to keep pushing. So, he immediately took the vibranium and melted it down again. He wasn’t wrong either, because apparently Peg agreed with Steve and came marching into his work space the next morning.

‘Steve needs that vibranium shield,’ she said. ‘You yourself said it was stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It’ll be far more beneficial in Steve’s hands.’

‘Like I told him,’ Howard said. ‘That’s all we got, and I only melted it into that form to see if it could be moulded.’

‘Don’t waste our time, Howard!’ Peg snapped. ‘Where is it?!’

‘Ain’t a shield anymore,’ Howard said. ‘I melted it down again.’

Carter looked like he’d just said he pissed in church.

This argument went on for another week. Steve and Peg wanted the vibranium and they weren’t taking no for an answer. It was getting so bad, it was actually disrupting the work in the lab and both had tried physical intimidation tactics. Looked like Steve Rogers wasn’t the man Erskine had thought he was. Howard was glad he’d relocated the remaining vibranium to his private residence.

Needless to say, he was not surprised that Phillips got involved.

‘Are you telling me,’ Phillips demanded after they’d spewed out their self-righteous rubbish, ‘that you’re disrupting the scientific work of a base just because you want to use the vibranium – the rarest metal on earth and the only sample we have – as your own personal Frisbee?’

‘It’s a shield,’ Rogers argued.

‘Not anymore, it ain’t.’ Phillips’ scowl deepened.

‘Well, Stark should turn it back into a shield,’ Carter insisted. ‘It would serve the war effort better that way.’

‘It’s serving the war effort just fine, Carter,’ Phillips snapped. ‘It’s boosted our radio signals and radar capabilities by over 1000%. The vibranium stays where it is. You two, on the other hand, are going places.’

Rogers began to look excited, but Carter looked suspicious.

Rogers was shipped to the front lines – one of the most hostile battlefields in the whole damn war.

Carter was shipped back to England and the SOE.

Howard soon learned how to synthesise a suitable alternative which performed the same functions as vibranium.

He called it adamantium.

In 20 years, vibranium was obsolete.

In 30 years, Tony Stark was born into a world that Wakanda was struggling to keep up with.

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me when I was watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnLTZoH3O2E
> 
> I thought, "what if Howard had refused to let Steve have that particular shield?"


End file.
